THE LINES OF .THE CAUCASUS. 337

place; and it winds with a ferpentine courfe through anextenfive and woody Valley, in the lower part of which thePodkuma, with a ftronger current of water, joins the formerin the vicinity of the abovementioned Podgornce.

At this place the upper bank of the Knma is four fathomshigh, and confifts of a fandy marl, below which, in the bedof the river, we difcovered a laminated grey fchiftus of fand:this was the firft layer we obferved at the northern declivity ofthe Caucafus, the flrata of which incline from N.W. to S.E.into a level piain.

The low country abounded with a greater variety of woodthan I had before obferved. The Acer campeßre, wild pear,and cherry-trees of Mahaleb, a fpecies of fmall acid plums,called Alitfha, the Ligußrum, Evonymus grandis, Phyfaüs Alke-kengi and Semcio Dorm grew here in abundance: there werealfo numbers of pheafants, hares, and roebucks.

In the evening of this day, we crofTed the Kuma, in theCircaffian language called Gum-Yfh, and after travelling fiveverfts through a bufhy valley, we arrived at the fortrefs ofGeorgiefsk, which has fince been made the chief feat of theGovernment. The garrifon of this ill-built place, includesthe major part of its inhabitants; and it was at this time therefidence of the Governor and Commandant General of thearmy of the Caucafus. The happinefs I experienced inbecoming acquainted with the General of Infantry IvanVassilievitsh Güdovitsh, a man equally eftimable foihis military talents, politenefs, knowledge, and affability, mademe the more regret that I had arrived in this remarkable regionvol. 1. xx at